Field
Exemplary embodiments relate to a touch panel and a method for manufacturing the same.
Discussion of the Background
An electronic device such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, an electrophoretic display, and the like, may include a touch sensor enabling an interaction with a user. The touch sensor may recognize contact information such as whether or not an object approaches or contacts the electronic display, a contact position, and the like. The touch sensor may allow a display device to sense changes in screen pressure, electric charges, light, and the like, when a user approaches or contacts the touch surface to, for example, write a character or draw a picture, using a finger, a touch pen, etc.
The touch sensor of several electronic devices may be variously classified into a resistive type touch sensor, a capacitive type touch sensor, an electro-magnetic (EM) type touch sensor, an optical type touch sensor, and the like.
For example, the capacitive type touch sensor may include a sensing capacitor including a plurality of sensing electrodes that may transfer detection signals and may sense a change in a capacitance or a charged electric charge of the sensing capacitor generated when a conductor such as a finger approaches the touch sensor, thereby detecting whether or not a touch is made, a touch position, and the like. The capacitive type touch sensor may include a plurality of touch electrodes disposed in a touch sensing region in which the touch may be sensed and touch wirings connected to the touch electrodes. The touch wirings may transfer sensing input signals to the touch electrodes or transfer sensing output signals of the touch electrodes generated by user touch to a touch driver.
The touch sensor may be embedded in the display device (in-cell type), or may be directly formed on an outer surface of the display device (on-cell type), or a separate touch sensor unit may be added and used on the display device (add-on cell type). Particularly, in the case of a flexible display device, a method for forming a separate touch sensor having a shape of a film or a plate on which the touch sensor is formed or a separate touch sensor and then adding the film or the separate touch sensor on the display panel may be used.
In the case in which a glass substrate, which is heavy and easily damaged, is used in electronic devices such as the display device, a touch sensor device, and the like, there is a limitation in portability and displaying a large screen. Therefore, recently, a flexible electronic device in which a film having a light weight, impact resistance, and high flexibility is used as a material of the substrate has been actively developed.
However, in a process for forming a touch sensor and wiring patterns on the flexible substrate made of film, a crack may be generated in an edge region of the substrate, such that touch performance of the touch panel is deteriorated.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the inventive concept, and, therefore, it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.